Monterrey international airport expansion advances

Renovation and expansion work on Mexico’s Monterrey international airport, involving a 4.25bn-peso (US$211mn) investment, is 23% complete, according to the CEO of operator OMA Ricardo Dueñas. 

The upgrade will increase capacity by 50% to 6,000 passengers per hour. 

OMA is among the country’s largest airport operators, with 13 facilities in central and northern Mexico. The operator plans to invest 12bn pesos in its facilities by 2025, prioritizing Monterrey, according to its master plan. 

A first phase involves expanding terminal C and adding 88 fixed and 20 automated check-in counters, as well as building an additional wing with waiting areas and 11 gates. The second phase includes a new wing with 15 gates and baggage claim area expansions. 

Parking capacity will be increased to accommodate 62 aircraft. 

Monterrey has been the fifth-busiest Mexican airport for domestic passenger traffic so far this year and the sixth busiest for international passengers, according to the communications and transport ministry (SCT). 

Air traffic plummeted during the pandemic in 2020 due to quarantine regulations throughout Nuevo León state and international travel restrictions, also forcing the temporary suspension of the upgrade. Work started in 2019.

However, OMA expects a swift recovery. Passenger traffic grew by 679% in 2Q21 compared to the year-ago period.

The operator is also advancing the 482mn-peso modernization of Tampico airport in Tamaulipas, which includes the installation of over 4,000m2 of solar panels.